Sweet Maria's Weblog

If you have a busy lifestyle or travel a lot, you understand the importance of a well-built travel mug. Spilled coffee is the last thing you want to worry about when on the go. There's a lot of cheap-o coffee vessels out there with leaky lids, thin walls and plastic interiors that aren't suitable for hot beverages. All the travel mugs we carry, are durable, easy to clean and have a variety of capacities. They may be a little more expensive in comparison to what you will find in the kitchen section at your local department store but we promise that they will last for a long time and keep your coffee hot for a long time.

We also stay away from offering mugs with complicated springs, levers and tight crevices. Mechanized flip tops and fancy lids are cool but after a few months, tend to develop goop and residue that is very hard to clean, even in a dishwasher.

It's made to take a beating, keeps your coffee hot and comfortable to drink from. The extended handle and carabiner may seem cumbersome but after using it for the first time, you will find that they don't get in the way at all and are actually quite nice....

Huila y Huehue SWP Decaf Blend. It's a blend of Colombia and Guatemala, as you can probably identify from the name. It has bold raw sugars, cinnamon and all-spice. It's well balanced with a clean finish. Use it as an espresso too!

I really value my time roasting on our Probat L-12. It's design makes it easy to control and it responds quickly and accurately. I usually start roasting around 6:00 am and finish about 6-7 hours later, every other Wednesday. I roasted 11 batches each of Guatemala and Java, and I'm very excited to share them with you!

I always enjoy roasting coffees from Guatemala. They can take aggressive heat, they have an excellent defining first crack from start to finish, and they overall tend to react nicely in the roaster. This Guatemala was no exception. I roasted the Pena Roja at City+ with a few roasts that were just a tad lighter, and blended it all together. I wanted to preserve the beautiful acidity in this cup while also developing the cocoa. Mission accomplished! This cup has nice crispy acidity of fresh fruits, and an obvious cocoa finish. Expect a very clean and juicy cup!

Here is the proof that the quality of Java coffees have improved. This Java in particular has taken a leap toward sweetness and clarity which is great to see in an Indonesia coffee. It has a clearly defined acidity and fruitiness that shows at it's best once cooled. There is also a sweet sugary aftertaste that completes the finish. I'm very impressed with this Java!

These girls are part of the Girls Gotta Run running club at the Abba Pascal girls school in Sodo, Ethiopia. Girls Gotta Run is a grass roots organization operating in Ethiopia that encourages girls too stay in school and avoid early marriage. Tom had a chance to meet them and see the program first hand. We are supporting them this year with sales of our Dogs of Coffee calendar and have made a five year commitment to the program. You can read more about the program at Girls Gotta Run

Immersion brewing is probably one of the simplest ways to manually brew your coffee. This is a great method for folks that want excellent coffee but don't want to fuss with a proper pour-over technique when they are short on time. With immersion brewing, you don't have to babysit a filter cone...just add coffee, add water, go do a few minutes of something productive and decant.